WARNER BROS. RISES TO $1-B AT INT'L BOX OFFICE IN RECORD TIME

Division Crosses Threshold For 12th Consecutive Year

BURBANK, CA, May 15, 2012—On the heels of its strong overseas opening of Dark Shadows and the momentum of its first quarter releases, Warner Bros. Pictures has surpassed the $1 billion threshold in overseas box office in less than five months, surpassing its 2010 Studio record by ten days. This marks the twelfth consecutive year the Division has grossed over $1 billion overseas, beginning in 2001. The announcement was made today by Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President, International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The Studio hits this high water mark as it gears up for a full slate of highly anticipated titles later in the year, including Adam Shankman's Rock of Ages, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, Ben Affleck's Argo, and Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. 

The Wrath Of Titans

The Division enjoyed a strong start early in the year with the continued overseas success of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, which grossed $257 million in 2012 ($357 million total international box office). This was followed by impressive grosses on the 2D and 3D releases of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island ($222 million) and Wrath of the Titans ($218.3 million). Released in some territories day-and-date with the U.S., Dark Shadows has already grossed $37.3 million, with many markets yet to open. Earnings from 3D venues reached $324 million, representing nearly a third of the Division’s cumulative gross for 2012. 

“Our success thus far this year would not be possible without the ingenuity of our filmmakers, and the hard work and dedication of our teams around the world,” Kwan Vandenberg said. "These remarkable results demonstrate the continued strength of the international business, particularly in rapidly expanding overseas markets and in 3D.”

Warner Bros Pictures International has been the market leader in six of the previous 11 years. The Studio has surpassed $1 billion at the international box office a total of 15 times, with four of those years exceeding $2 billion, including 2011. The studio earned $2.87 billion internationally last year, and was the number one studio in Europe.

WARNER BROS. BEGINS PRODUCTION ON “SEVENTH SON”

Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore and Ben Barnes Lead the International Cast

Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore

BURBANK, CA, March 26, 2011 – Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ fantasy action adventure “Seventh Son.” Shooting began on March 19, under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Sergei Bodrov, director of the Oscar®-nominated foreign language films “Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan” and “Prisoner of the Mountains.” “Seventh Son” stars Academy Award® winner Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart,” “Iron Man”), Oscar® nominee Julianne Moore (“Far From Heaven,” “The Hours”), and Ben Barnes (“The Chronicles of Narnia” films).

Ben Barnes

In a time long past, an evil is about to be unleashed that will reignite the war between the forces of the supernatural and humankind once more. Master Gregory (Bridges) is a knight who had imprisoned the malevolently powerful witch, Mother Malkin (Moore), centuries ago. But now she has escaped and is seeking vengeance. Summoning her followers of every incarnation, Mother Malkin is preparing to unleash her terrible wrath on an unsuspecting world. Only one thing stands in her way: Master Gregory. 

In a deadly reunion, Gregory comes face to face with the evil he always feared would someday return. Now he has only until the next full moon to do what usually takes years: train his new apprentice, Tom Ward (Barnes) to fight a dark magic unlike any other. Man’s only hope lies in the seventh son of a seventh son.

The film’s international cast also includes Alicia Vikander (“The Crown Jewels”), Antje Traue (“Pandorum,” upcoming “Man of Steel”), Olivia Williams (“Hanna”) and Kit Harington (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”).

Bodrov is directing the film from a screenplay by Matt Greenberg, Charles Leavitt and Steve Knight, based on the book The Spook’s Apprentice by Joseph Delaney. “Seventh Son” is being produced by Basil Iwanyk (“The Town,” “Clash of the Titans” upcoming “Wrath of the Titans”), Thomas Tull (“Inception,” “The Dark Knight” upcoming “The Dark Knight Rises”) and Lionel Wigram (“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” the “Harry Potter” films). The executive producers are Jon Jashni, Brent O’Connor and Alysia Cotter, with Jillian Zaks and Erica Lee serving as co-producers.

The behind-the-scenes team collaborating with Bodrov includes director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel (“Drive”); three-time Oscar®-winning production designer Dante Ferretti (“Hugo,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “Aviator”); Oscar®-nominated editor Paul Rubell (“Collateral,” “The Insider”); Oscar®-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Social Network”), and Oscar®-winning visual effects supervisor John Dykstra (“Spider-Man,” “Spider-Man 2”).

“Seventh Son” will be filmed entirely on location in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, “Seventh Son” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

“DARK KNIGHT RISES,” “THE HOBBIT” LEAD WARNER’S 2012 LINE-UP

Twenty twelve is shaping up to be another banner year for Warner Bros. whose upcoming line-up consists of the formidable tent-pole releases (“The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Hobbit”), blockbuster sequels (“Wrath of the Titans,” “Sherlock Holmes 2”), potential franchise-starters (“Jack and the Giant Killer,” “Dark Shadows”) and prestige titles (“Gravity,” “J. Edgar”). With all these surefire bets, what's not to like?

            The Dark Knight Rises. The epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Christian Bale again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Marion Cotillard, as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.

            The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes the first of two films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

            Wrath of the Titans. A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus (Sam Worthington) —the demigod son of Zeus (Liam Neeson)—is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. But Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades (Ralph Fiennes) makes a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus.

            Jack, the Giant Killer. An ancient war is reignited when a young farmhand (Nicholas Hoult) unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. “X-Men's” Bryan Singer directs.

            Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) has always been the smartest man in the room…until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large—Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris)—and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may give him an advantage over the renowned detective.

            Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. In this follow-up to the 2008 worldwide hit “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” the new 3D family adventure begins when young Sean (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist. Unable to stop him from going, Sean’s new stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson), joins the quest.

            Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze who's still struggling with his curse as the devil's bounty hunter. He is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy from the devil. At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy - and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.

            Dark Shadows. Director Tim Burton brings the cult classic series to the big screen in a film featuring an all-star cast, led by Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter.

            Rock of Ages. The film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock ‘n’ roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake, and more. Tom Cruise leads the powerhouse cast.

            Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name, this drama starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock tells the story of one young boy’s journey from heartbreaking loss to the healing power of self-discovery, set against the backdrop of the tragic events of September 11.

            J. Edgar. During his lifetime, J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) would rise to be the most powerful man in America. As head of the FBI for nearly 50 years, he would stop at nothing to protect his country. The Clint Eastwood film explores the personal and public life and relationships of a man who could distort the truth as easily as he upheld it during a life devoted to his own idea of justice, often swayed by the darker side of power.

            The Apparition. When frightening events start to occur in their home, young couple Kelly (Ashley Greene) and Ben (Sebastian Stan) discover they are being haunted by a presence. Their last hope is an expert in the supernatural (Tom Felton), but even with his help they may already be too late to save themselves from this terrifying force...

            The Lucky One. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive—a photograph he found of a woman he doesn’t even know. Learning her name is Beth (Taylor Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door. Despite her initial mistrust, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm.

            Gangster Squad. A colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time. The film stars Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters; Sean Penn as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen and Emma Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention.

            Rivals. Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis play rival politicians in a small congressional district in South Carolina.

            Argo. Based on true events, the film chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis—the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. Ben Affleck stars and directs.

            Burt Wonderstone. Steve Carell and Jim Carrey star in this comedy that deals with rival stage magician teams in Las Vegas. The titular Wonderstone, is one half of a two-man group who has to rediscover his love of magic after the loss of his partner.

            Prisoners. A desperate father (Michael Fassbender) turns vigilante and abducts the man he suspects is behind the disappearance of his eight year old daughter and her best friend, after cops fail to find the little girls.

            Gravity. A 3D space film about the leader of a team posted at a remote space station. While he (George Clooney) and a female colleague (Sandra Bullock) are traveling outside the space station, the other team members are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite.

WARNER BROS. PICTURES EARNS TRIPLE CROWN FOR 2010

The Studio takes this year’s top spots in US market share with $1.884 billion;

International market share with $2.930 billion; and Worldwide market share
for the second consecutive year with $4.814 billion.

            BURBANK, CA, – The Warner Bros. Pictures Group broke the all-time industry worldwide box office record with a 2010 gross of $4.814 billion, which surpasses the prior record of $4.010 billion (set by Warner Bros. in 2009). The announcement was made January 4 by Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

            Setting new benchmarks for both the international and global box office grosses in 2010 and retaining the domestic box office number one ranking (after achieving a record gross in 2009), the Studio now holds the industry record in all three categories. Additionally, Warner Bros. surpassed its own worldwide gross from the previous year by $800 million to earn the number one position in worldwide market share for the second consecutive year and for the sixth time in the past 10 years, also an industry record.

            “We are so proud of these incredible accomplishments, which were made possible through the global efforts of an exceptional group of people who collaborated to create, produce, market, and distribute more than two dozen films this past year,” said Robinov. “We have a terrific leadership team behind these efforts, including Sue Kroll, Dan Fellman and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, and, along with Barry Meyer and Alan Horn, I applaud everyone who contributed to this year’s record-breaking success.”

            Warner Bros. Pictures’ domestic gross is estimated at $1.884 billion, making it number one in domestic market share for 2010. This is the third year in a row the Studio has held that crown and is the only studio to exceed the $1 billion threshold domestically for 10 consecutive years. Warner Bros. has been ranked either one or two domestically for seven of the last 10 years. The Studio had five films gross over $100 million domestically in 2010 – “Inception,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1,” “Clash of the Titans,” “Valentine’s Day,” and “Due Date.” 

“Our tentpole strategy combined with a remarkably diverse overall slate has once again proved enormously profitable at the box office,” said Dan Fellman, President, Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. “We could not be more proud of the Studio’s achievements this year.”

            Warner Bros. Pictures International set a new industry record in overseas box office with an estimated $2.930 billion year-end gross, breaking the previous industry record of $2.450 billion in 2009. This is the tenth consecutive year the Studio has exceeded $1 billion and third time it has surpassed $2 billion in international box office receipts. The Studio has had seven films gross more than $100 million internationally in 2010 – “Sherlock Holmes” ($264 million, for a total of $315 million, including 2009’s take); “Valentine’s Day” ($106 million); “Clash of the Titans” ($330 million); “Sex and the City 2” ($193 million); “Inception” ($531 million); “Due Date” ($100 million); and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” ($611 million, and still in release).

            [In the Philippines, Warner Bros.-Twentieth Century Fox has posted sales of PhP1.354-billion gross for 2010 which is the all-time biggest industry record for any distributor, according to General Manager Francis Soliven.]

            “We’re elated to reach these incredible numbers internationally,” said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President, Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures International. “This achievement is a testament to the company’s strategy to make event films with global appeal, and it would not have been possible without the hard work and innovative thinking from our outstanding marketing and distribution teams around the world.”

            

 Among the Studio’s 2011 releases are “Red Riding Hood,” directed by Catherine Hardwicke; the Zack Snyder-directed action fantasy “Sucker Punch”; “The Hangover Part II,” the sequel to the 2009 breakout hit; “Green Lantern,” the highly anticipated adaptation of the popular DC Comics title, starring Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively; the conclusion of the most successful film franchise of all time, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2”; “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” starring Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling; Steven Soderbergh’s thriller “Contagion,” with an ensemble cast led by Matt Damon; “Happy Feet 2,” the sequel to the 2006 Academy Award®-winning animated musical hit; New Line Cinema’s “New Year’s Eve,” an all-star ensemble romantic comedy from director Garry Marshall; and “Sherlock Holmes II,” Guy Ritchie’s follow up to the 2009 hit, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.